Is there any such thing as ‘the perfect body’? The women’s magazines, the fashion industry, the diet and exercise brigade would certainly argue that yes, the perfect body exists and could be ours if we only… (women – insert unrealistic expectation here.)
But perfection starts with our mind set and attitude and then what we ourselves make of it. The perfect body is one that we are comfortable with, that meets our expectations, that can perform the tasks we set it to do with a minimum of bother.
Most of us take a long time, if ever, to come to terms with the body we have and to accept its limitations, its flaws, and the fact of its miraculous existence. We spend fruitless hours chasing after the imaginary ideal instead of celebrating the perfection that is already inside us right now.
An inspiring figure that teaches us about the power of positive body image is Madison de Rozario. She is the dynamic Australian Paralympic medallist who has achieved more in 23 years than what most of us will do in a lifetime. And she describes her body as perfect for what she wants it to be.
De Rozario contracted a viral disease at a very young age and, narrowly escaping death, became a paraplegic at the age of four. With a sporty, active family around her, she was always encouraged to play sport alongside her siblings, and until she left primary school, didn’t really realise that she was any different to anyone else.
She took up athletics when she was twelve and was a natural, heading off to her first Paralympics in Beijing at the age of fourteen. She says it was a life-changing moment as she realised she was part of, not just a sport, but a movement.
She ended up taking home a silver medal, the first of six international para-athletic medals she has won over the years, and is currently training hard for a spot on the 2020 Paralympic squad heading to Tokyo.
“Feeling negative about something that is you 100 per cent of the time is a horrible way to be”.
De Rozario loves, appreciates and accepts her body for what it is, saying in a recent article, “Feeling negative about something that is you 100 per cent of the time is a horrible way to be”.
Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and focused on your so-called ‘problem’ areas? Your wobbly tummy, your crinkly forehead, your thighs that aren’t so much ‘hot-dog legs’ as they are uncooked sausage rolls?
“The negative feelings you have about your body are only magnified when you dwell on them.”
The negative feelings you have about your body are only magnified when you dwell on them. Instead, try to turn those feelings around in a positive way. Appreciate the lovely softness of a lap that makes a good cushion for a small child, the proof of age, wisdom and happiness that shows in every line on your face, and the fact that your legs may not be supporting a supermodel because they’re too busy supporting you.
The beauty of Madison De Rozario is picture proof that beauty lies within our achievements and what we can give back to the world, not what is dictated to us by industries that exist to make us feel bad about ourselves so that we’ll buy something.
Our mindset and prevailing attitude is what makes the powerful difference in our lives – if you want to conquer your perfection fears, shifting attitude is a great place to start.
Jon Michail and his team at Image Group International partners with their clients to achieve breakthrough results with contrarian and disruptive ways to grow and monetise their personal and business brands. A veteran coach with a Who’s Who clientele, Jon is the CEO and Founder of Image Group International, an Australian-based corporate and personal brand image advisory and coaching organisation that conducts transformational seminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching in over four continents. He is recognised as Australasia’s No. 1 Image Coach.